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21.07.2011 gnoll (Blue, Castle, Loynis, Gird) def Albert@s (Red, Necropolis, Xsi, Xsi) Panic (random), 133
My opponent took all the restarts. I was given Gird and decided to make him my main hero. There was only one road, but that's probably Panic's style. First week - resource gathering, a couple of crypts. The road was already blocked on day 3 by a stack of Cerberi, so I took a detour to the Necro town. An external dwelling of Archers and two of Pikemen on the bread town. 1,2,3,4,6 in the citadel on day 7. I cleared almost everything that was lying around. Heroes were ferrying the army in all directions using chains.
122 took the Necro town. The road was further blocked by Gorgons, so I crawled off-road to the Dungeon town, picking up a Pandora's Box with 5k gold along the way, I think.
124 capturing the Dungeon town, Gnoll's shield + saw the first Hive and Griffin Conservatory of the game.
125 I take the Rampart town in the center, suddenly run into the opponent's scout with my main hero.
126 opponent's scout loots Rampart, buys Dwarves and Centaurs there, and confidently heads to Dungeon. My main hero meanwhile takes the Griffin Conservatory (little army, practically no magic, all Pikemen and the Horse are used up), and I risk defending Dungeon with a scout hero with Troglodytes and Harpies.
127 It was an intriguing battle of scout heroes, where 10 Dwarves and a few Harpies remained. No mana, opponent has morale -1. Overall a clear draw. He retreated.
That's when I held the center without losing time on my main hero - I consider this an important moment in the game for myself. If I had lost Dungeon, I would have lost 1-2 days recapturing towns, and in the meantime my opponent could either push or go around through a portal to my capital and reserve troops. My main hero then wouldn't have been able to rush back to town for magic, and the scout heroes couldn't transfer 2 Angels and a couple of Horses to a new rally point. I did have a plan in case I lost Dungeon, but things turned out unexpectedly better.
131 Gird rushed to the capital, learned magic, and rushed to the Necro town, where old Angels and Horses were being brought to him from one side, and from the other side all the new week's troops were to await him behind the Cerberi, along with accumulated Griffins and Crusaders, and another stack of Pikemen. I bought everything using resources converted to gold.
132 thought about clearing some Naga Banks maybe, but the Cerberi were standing right on the portal, and the portal led to Red's Barbarian town and his Xsi (a couple of Angels + Vampires), fighting off a Pandora's Box on the side. Nearby stood a scout hero without magic with Skeletons (160), which I wanted to pressure with my own scout hero carrying the main hero's army, but the opponent bought him off / fled. I gave the army back to Gird, and stole the town with a 3rd scout.
On Red's turn there was a Fireball. The opponent attacked with 4 Angels, 20 Vampires, 10 Liches, I think 70 Skeletons. I had 2 Angels, 7 Champions, 30 Griffins, 70 Arbalesters, the same number of Pikemen, and 16 Crusaders.
Xsi 3679, expert Fire and Earth, Amulet of Speed. Gird 9966, expert Water and Wisdom.
On Curse, I answered with Bless; on Blindness and Slow, with Heal; on Lightning Bolt, with Ice Bolt dealing 250 damage.
The advantage is obvious, GG.
It was extremely interesting to play. Thanks for the game.
